


Angel wings make good blankets

by DifferenceEngineGirl



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Gen, Halloween, Hell, Hellhounds, Magic is Real, Post-Devil Face Reveal to Chloe Decker, TheDeckerstarNetwork Hell-oween Exchange 2018, Trixie knows, Witches, dan knows, pre-Deckerstar - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2018-11-06
Packaged: 2019-08-11 16:12:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16478759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DifferenceEngineGirl/pseuds/DifferenceEngineGirl
Summary: After an encounter with a witch, Chloe and Lucifer find themselves in Hell. Getting out isn't as easy as Chloe hoped, and their friends are left on Earth unable to help.





	1. Warehouse

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MourningNight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MourningNight/gifts).



> A fic for TheDeckerstarNetwork's Hell-oween Exchange 2018, with the prompts Heaven/Hell, Blue, and Witch from MourningNight.
> 
> [Title changed when I realised there was another exchange fic with the same one.]

It was almost Halloween, the first since Chloe discovered Lucifer was the Devil, and they were sat in her car watching a warehouse when curiosity got the better of her.   
"So, how much of this is real?"   
"Pardon Detective?"   
"Y'know, Halloween stuff. Zombies and ghosts and witches and stuff. Are any of them real?"   
"Ghosts, no. My sister is far too good at her job to allow a soul to remain on Earth for any real length of time after their demise. Zombies are real, but not in the way Hollywood portrays them. Zombies are just humans under the influence of a combination of substances that make them appear dead for long enough to be buried, then dug up and dosed to make them compliant. Very interesting, I disagreed with it as it removes the zombie’s free will, but I believe the practice died out."   
"And witches?"   
"Witches are real. They are fairly rare nowadays, but it used to be that there was at least one witch in almost every settlement. Lovely people, mostly, until society decided they didn't understand magic, and the best solution was to kill all practitioners. And blame yet another thing on me."   
"So you have nothing to do with witches?"   
"Some of them worship me, but not all and that's only started up relatively recently. I don't grant them their powers if that's what you mean. I view those that worship me the same as bloody Satanists. It’s irritating."   
Chloe couldn't help but smile at the sincerely put-upon expression on Lucifer's face, but didn't get a chance to respond as a figure opened the door to the warehouse and slipped inside.

"Lucifer. They're here." she said, before opening the car door and slipping out into the darkness, drawing her gun as she went. Lucifer got out behind her, soon taking up a position at her back as they walked carefully over to the door. The suspect hadn't locked it, so they slipped quietly into the barely-lit interior. Sneaking through the maze of boxes, they reached a clear area and as they stepped out of the cover of the crates, a woman stepped out in front of them. She had a dark blue cloak wrapped around her, the hood pulled down low over her face, hiding her eyes, and a long silver dagger in her hand. Chloe snapped her gun up to point it at them.   
"LAPD! Drop the weapon!"   
The woman didn’t move, and Lucifer began to get a bad feeling about the whole situation. When she let out a soft huff of laughter and raised her arms, he put his hand on Chloe’s shoulder and leant in close to talk to her.   
"We should leave Detective. This feels wrong." he murmured into her ear, but she ignored him.   
"Drop the weapon! Now!" she shouted, but the woman didn't move.

A horribly sick feeling began to build in Lucifer's stomach as the hair on the back of his neck stood up and he felt the crackle of power in the air. The woman grinned as she saw the seemingly haphazard scratches around the pair's feet begin to glow with a fiery red light.   
"Detective we have to leave. We have to go now!" he pleaded, voice edging on desperation. As she turned to push his hand away, the woman spoke.   
**"Daemon, hunc locum relinquere, et revertatur ad profundum lacum, ex quo te venit!"**  she commanded, voice reverberating around the space with unnatural echoes as she thrust her hands towards the pair, a wave of  _something_  pulsing across the space.

The power in the air suddenly built to almost suffocating. Lucifer felt a sick wrenching deep in his gut as Chloe's hand made contact with his and the world lurched sideways into darkness.

\-----------------*-----------------

"…tective? Chloe?"   
Chloe groaned as consciousness returned, roused by the familiar British accent of her partner. Her head was pounding, and there was a dull ache through the rest of her body. When she dragged her eyes open, she was greeted by Lucifer’s concerned face hovering over her own, and saw his features soften in relief.   
"You’re awake…" he breathed "How are you feeling? Still got emotions?"   
"What..?" she asked, confused.   
"Can- can I check something? It may be a little uncomfortable."   
"Ok?"   
Lucifer placed his hand gently on her head, thumb in the middle of her forehead and his index and middle fingers pressing against her temple, the other two gently against her cheek. He shut his eyes, and she felt something pushing against her mind. After a moment, it let up and he opened his eyes again, looking relieved.   
"You're fine."   
"What was that Lucifer?"   
"Humans aren't designed to cross planes. I needed to check you were still whole."   
"What do you mean 'whole'?"   
"There was a small chance that your soul would be forcibly separated from your body by the crossing. That wouldn't necessarily kill you, but it would remove your conscience and numb all your feelings to almost non-existent. But you're fine, so don't worry."   
"Hang on. Cross planes..? Where  _are_  we?"   
Lucifer hesitated for a moment before replying and Chloe’s mind went blank.   
"Hell, Detective. We're in Hell."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Latin says "Demon, leave this place and return to the depths of the pit from which you came!" (or at least according to a few googled translators)
> 
> Thanks to my awesome beta-reader Hannah! The rest of this will be posted daily, with a possible break on Sunday depending on my internet access. 
> 
> Feedback always welcome! 
> 
> Happy Halloween!


	2. Hell and Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe and Lucifer work on the plan to get out of Hell, as back on Earth Dan notices their absence.

"We- we're in Hell? How..?"   
"That woman we confronted was a witch. She evidently knew I was coming, and wove a spell to banish me back here, and as you and I were touching when it took effect, you were dragged along for the ride."   
"Are you sure? I expected Hell to be more, well, red and fiery. Here's  _blue_."   
"I am certain Detective. I ruled here for several millennia, I know Hell. As for the fire, some sections of Hell are ablaze, but the labyrinth just has a bloody never-ending ash fall." he explained, and attempted to brush some of the offending substance off his jacket.   
"How- how do we get out? Can you fly us?"   
"I'm afraid it's not quite that simple Detective. You are still a living human, and human bodies are not designed to cross planes. I don't want to risk dragging you through the full thickness back to Earth, so we will need to travel to near the Gates where the walls are thinner, then I can fly us both out."   
"How long will that take?"   
"No longer than a week."   
"A week? B-but what about Trixie? And Dan and Ella and everyone? They'll get so worried!"   
"Ah, yes, well, time runs a little differently in Hell. What is a week for us, will only be a couple of days or so for them."   
Chloe quickly got out her phone, slightly relieved and surprised when it turned on, but her heart sinking when she saw there was no signal.   
"Can you get a message to them? Just to let them know we’re ok."   
"Not really. I cannot contact Maze from here, and none of my siblings seem to be able to hear me when I’m here."

Chloe sat silently for a few moments, taking in all that had just happened, and Lucifer stayed quiet, not wanting to accidentally freak her out.   
"So the only thing we can do is start going towards the Gates?" she asked, once everything was a little more in order in her head.   
"Yes Detective. Unfortunately so."   
"Can you fly, or are we walking?"   
"Forced interplanar travel takes it out of you, so I'm afraid we're on foot for the next couple of days, then I was planning on flying and carrying you, if that's ok?"   
"Of course it is Lucifer. Let's get going."

\-----------------*-----------------

It was nearing the end of Dan's shift, and Chloe and Lucifer still weren't back. They'd gone out on a stakeout early that morning after an anonymous tip, and nobody had heard anything from either of them since they left. Beginning to get a little worried, as the tip said the suspect should've been at the location several hours ago, he decided to give her a quick call. After listening to it ring for a few moments there was a click as the line went to voicemail.   
 _"This is Detective Chloe Decker. I can’t come to the phone right now, so please leave a message after the tone and I’ll get back to you."_    
"Hey Chlo, it’s Dan. Just calling to see where you are, your stakeout's going on longer than I thought it would. I’m still good to take Trixie tonight, but I’d like to know how long it’s gonna take. Call me."   
Just in case, after he left the voicemail, Dan scrolled down to the contact marked 'Dick' and hit call. Just like Chloe's, the line rang for a few moments before clicking to the smug British voicemail of the Devil.   
 _"You've reached Lucifer Morningstar. I'm unavailable at the moment, so leave your desire after the tone and I'll get back to you."_    
"Hey man, it's Dan. Are you still with Chloe? She's not answering her phone and you should be done with the stakeout by now. If you got bored and left her and she's in trouble I swear I'll do my best to make your life hell. Call back when you get this."

A couple of hours later, neither Chloe nor Lucifer had returned his calls, and Dan was getting worried. Maze was picking Trixie up from school, as their friendship was slowly being repaired, so he went to dispatch to find out where they should be.

As he approached the warehouse, he spotted Chloe’s car parked opposite. When he got closer, he saw it was empty, a couple of half-empty coffee cups and a half-eaten packet of cool ranch puffs sat on the dashboard. The doors were locked, so he drew his gun and cautiously approached the door to the warehouse, worry bubbling in his gut. The door was unlocked, and as he moved through the maze of crates he started to wonder whether he should’ve called for backup. Eventually he came to an open area, with seemingly haphazard scratches apparently burnt into the floor. After a quick look through the rest of the warehouse, confirming his suspicions that it was empty, he rang to precinct to report Chloe and Lucifer missing.

He was stuck at the warehouse for another hour, as unis and another detective arrived to look over the scene and quiz him on how he found it. When he was finally allowed to leave, he went straight to Chloe’s apartment to pick up his daughter.

When he got there, he was greeted by a grumpy looking Maze.   
"You’re late." she scowled as she let him in.   
"I know, and I’m sorry, but I have a good reason."   
At the sound of his voice, Trixie came rushing around the corner.   
"Daddy! Can you make waffles for dinner?"   
"Hey Monkey. Maybe, but can you go make sure you've got everything you need in your bag? I need to talk to Maze for a bit."   
"Ok Daddy."

When she was out of earshot, Dan turned to Maze.   
"I need your help. You’re the best person I know at tracking people."   
"What happened? You lost a kid again?"   
"Chloe and Lucifer are missing."   
"What? For how long?" Maze asked, looking just about ready to rip someone to shreds.   
"They went on a stakeout this morning, and it shouldn’t have taken long, so when they hadn’t come back by the end of my shift and neither of them were answering their phones, I went to check up on them. It’s like they just vanished off the face of the Earth! There’s no blood, no sign of a struggle, nothing! What am I supposed to tell Trixie?" he explained.   
"And you want me to find them?"   
"Yeah. As I said, you’re the best at what you do. I've already reported them missing."   
"Give me the address and I’ll take a look. Tell the spawn whatever you think is best."   
Dan texted the address to Maze, and they all left at the same time, Maze heading to the warehouse and Dan and Trixie heading to his apartment.

Half an hour later, Dan’s phone rang.   
"Espinoza."   
"They didn’t leave the warehouse on this plane. I think Lucifer was forced back to Hell." Maze's voice came through the phone, sounding more than a little grumpy.   
"And Chloe?"   
"I don’t know. She’s too good, I can’t track her properly, but I think she might have been dragged with him."   
"What am I supposed to tell Trixie? Can they get back?"   
"They should be able to. Lucifer will try his hardest to bring them both back, but it might take a while."   
"Right. Thanks Maze. If you hear anything, call me."   
"There was someone else here too, so I’m going to track them down. They stink of magic, so it shouldn’t be too hard." she said, and hung up before Dan could ask her any more questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my beta reader Hannah! Feedback always welcome!


	3. Labyrinth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucifer and Chloe continue their walk through Hell's Labyrinth.

Chloe and Lucifer walked side by side through the corridors of Hell’s labyrinth, chatting at times and at others in comfortable silence, until Chloe began to get tired, feeling like it should be almost night despite the continual almost-darkness of Hell. Lucifer noticed her stifle a yawn and stopped.   
"Detective, may I suggest we stop so you can get some rest?"   
"Shouldn’t we wait till night? I can keep going until then."   
"Night isn’t really a thing here. Hell never stops, so you should rest when you’re tired."   
"What about you?" she asked, as she noticed he was only talking about her.   
"I’m the Devil darling. I don’t particularly need sleep, especially here. I’ll keep a watch while you’re asleep, and make sure no demons get anywhere near you."   
"Can't we stay in one of these rooms?" she asked, pulling open the door closest to her before Lucifer could stop her.

Looking into the room, Chloe saw Pierce - no, Cain - stood in the middle of  _her apartment_ , locked in a passionate embrace with a woman in a white jacket with a blonde ponytail. After a moment they pulled apart and she spotted a sparkle on the woman’s finger. A strange feeling passed through her when she saw the woman’s face, and found herself staring at her own. She stood transfixed watching herself and Cain, remembering when this actually happened, just after he proposed. Unease filled her stomach as she watched herself so close to the world’s first murderer.

A strong hand round her arm jolted her back to the present, and she did little to resist as she was pulled away and back through the door. Lucifer pulled her into the corridor and swiftly shut the door, doing something near the handle until he heard a click.   
"This should've been locked…" he murmured, his jaw set and anger colouring his features.   
"What  _was_  that?" Chloe asked when he turned back towards her.   
"That was Cain's Hell Loop Detective. He gets personal attention from the demons, but when they aren't playing with him, he is bound to a holding loop of his last year of life." he explained, evidently wanting to move past it as quickly as possible.   
"Why was I there? Surely that's not a torturous memory."   
"It's not. The cells don't filter out any good bits from a long loop, and besides, the darkness seems so much darker when you get a glimpse of the light." he said, and there was a sadness to his words that Chloe didn't dare ask about. They lapsed into silence for a moment, before Lucifer spoke up again.   
"Right. We cannot rest in a cell, but I will offer you use of my wings as a blanket if you wish."   
"Thank you Lucifer."

Eventually, they settled down sat against the wall of the corridor, Chloe curled up against Lucifer's side resting her head on his shoulder, his arm round her waist and his wing draped loosely over her shoulders.

\-----------------*-----------------

Several hours later, Chloe woke up feeling fairly rested. As she stirred, she became aware of a stubbled cheek resting against her head, and the soft, steady rise and fall of Lucifer's shoulder under her cheek. For a moment she just sat there, taking in the quiet and peace until she remembered where she was and the urgency with which she wanted to go home. When she shifted against him, she felt Lucifer’s voice rumbling through his chest.   
"Good morning Detective. Did you sleep well?"   
"Surprisingly yeah. Angel wings make good blankets."   
He chuckled before gently nudging her up and folding his wings away.   
"We can probably make it out of the labyrinth today, so shall we be off?"

They made good progress, alternating between chatting and comfortable silence, until a couple of hours into their walk when Chloe's empty stomach made itself known. Lucifer stopped when he heard it rumble, patting his pockets in search of something edible. His search turned up a packet of jelly beans, a little bag of oxy, a couple of rolled joints and his half-empty flask. Returning the drugs and alcohol to his pocket, he handed the candy to her.   
"That's all I've got Detective. When we're out of the labyrinth, I'll find you some proper food."   
"Thank you. I didn't know there was food in Hell." she said, opening the bag and taking a handful.   
"There is, although it leaves much to be desired in terms of flavour and texture. And before you ask, no, eating food in Hell will not cause you to be stuck here. The Greeks got it wrong. There is only one tree that gives fruit with that effect, and I won't allow you to eat any of those," he explained as she ate, "If we do encounter any demons and they offer you an apple, don't take it. After the whole Eden fiasco, Dad split the Tree of Knowledge in two, and put half down here out of human hands, and it got corrupted and absorbed Hell's energy. Unfortunately He made it impervious to damage as well, so I couldn't just burn it."   
When she had eaten half the packet, she offered the candy to Lucifer, but he waved it off.   
"You should eat them. I'll be fine without. I insist."   
"You've got to eat something." She shook the bag at him until he reluctantly took it and ate.

Several hours later, they came to the edge of the labyrinth, a wide, open plain stretching out in front of them, dotted with gouts of flame and desiccated shrubbery. In the distance, Chloe could see a forest of gnarled black trees, and beyond that a glow in the sky that might be the Gates. She turned to Lucifer as a huge black creature barrelled into him and flattened him to the ground.   
"Lucifer!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my beta reader Hannah! Feedback always welcome!


	4. A Witch and a Hellhound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maze returns to Dan after her hunt, and Chloe meets one of Hell's creatures.

It was only about half an hour into his shift when Maze turned up at Dan's desk. She was dragging a woman in a long blue cloak, hands bound in front of her by thick iron shackles engraved with odd symbols and runes.   
"Found the witch." she announced, pushing the woman towards him.  
"Witch? What?" he asked, genuinely confused as to what was going on.  
"The one that sent Lucifer and Chloe to Hell. I said I was going after them."   
"O-ok, can you bring them back?" he asked, addressing the woman. She didn’t answer, and Maze elbowed her hard.   
"Answer him."   
"I cannot summon the human, and I refuse to allow that vile creature of darkness to wander the Earth again."   
Dan resisted the urge to correct her, knowing it would be unprofessional and likely to garner him odd looks if someone overheard him defending the Devil.   
"So you cannot help," he sighed, "I am arresting you for assaulting a police officer, you have the right to remain silent." He rattled off the woman's Miranda Rights, and just before he led her away Maze caught his arm.   
"Don't let anyone take those shackles off. They're stopping her using her magic, and there's no way you could keep her here without them."   
"Alright. I'll come up with some reason the guard'll believe. Thanks Maze."   
"Chloe and Lucifer will be back. Lucifer won't stop trying until they get out."   
Dan gave her a tight smile, and walked off towards the holding cells.

 

\-----------------*-----------------

 

Chloe stood frozen as the hulking shape smothered Lucifer, pinning him to the ground, trying not to draw its attention. After a moment, she heard him laughing.   
"I've missed you too, but get off me you great lump!" he chuckled, and the creature rolled off him. As he picked himself up and dusted some of the ash off his suit, Chloe got a proper look at the creature. It stood on four legs, and was huge, its shoulder reaching her waist. It looked almost like a cross between a wolf and a bear, except for the glowing red eyes and dark smoke clinging to its black fur.   
"Lucifer. What's that?"   
"This, Detective, is Garmr. He's Maze's personal Hellhound," he explained, scratching him behind the ears as a long red tongue lolled out of his mouth between surprisingly white teeth, "I gave him to her as a puppy as a gift when she entered my service." His face lit up and Chloe knew exactly what he was thinking.   
"No. You are not getting Trixie a Hellhound." She shut the idea down straight away, and Lucifer looked a little disappointed as Garmr trotted over and started sniffing at Chloe. She looked very wary of the hound, standing stock still and barely daring to breathe.   
"It’s alright Detective. He won’t hurt you, he only goes after escaped souls, and yours is far too good to ever end up down here. He’s just curious. I reckon you smell a lot like me after sleeping under my wing. Go on, pet him."   
Hesitantly, she reached out a hand and stroked his head. He was unnaturally warm, as she expected, and his fur was surprisingly soft, the dark smoke tickling at her fingers. As she pet him, a low rumble built in his chest, and Lucifer grinned, his smile wide and bright in the perpetual twilight of Hell.   
"He likes you!"   
"I-is that a good thing?"   
"Yes, it means there is no chance he would attack you. Garmr! Nadu akalum!" he commanded, and the Hellhound pulled away from Chloe’s side and shot off into the distance.   
"Where’s he going?" she asked.   
"To get us food Detective. He knows where to find it, and he moves a lot faster than we can. I suggest we rest at the edge of the labyrinth, after we've eaten, and we’ll fly after we've slept. Garmr will keep watch."

They sat for a couple of minutes before Garmr returned, a dark basket hanging from his jaws.   
"Good boy! Here we are Detective, food." Lucifer said, giving the hound a scratch behind the ears as he took the basket.   
"Where did he get that from?"   
"There's an orchard of sorts about halfway round to the other side of the labyrinth. Demons need to eat, but they mostly use these to make a sort of alcohol. Things steal baskets all the time, the demons won't mind or come looking. They're perfectly edible though, if a little ashy." he explains, taking something that looked a bit like a red-black peach from the basket and taking a bite before offering the basket to Chloe. Wary, she took a fruit and tried it, finding that it was bland and ashy-tasting, but tolerable and better than nothing. They were juicy enough that the lack of water in Hell wasn’t going to be a problem. Together they ate most of the rest of the basket, and Chloe curled up against Lucifer's side again, drifting off to the steady sound of his heartbeat as Garmr curled up at his feet and he wrapped a wing around her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The command Lucifer gives Garmr is in Sumerian (or as close as the internet would show me, so words sans grammar). Nadu akalum = Bring food.
> 
> Thanks to my awesome beta reader Hannah. Feedback always welcome!


	5. Company

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucifer and Chloe encounter some of Hell's less friendly creatures.

When they woke up, Lucifer gave Chloe a quick crash-course on hitching a lift with an angel - namely hold on tight and don't look down unless you are absolutely certain you can handle it - before scooping her up, letting her wrap her arms around his neck and taking off, Garmr running along underneath them. This repeated for a couple of almost-days, Garmr fetching vaguely ashy Hell-fruit, Chloe and Lucifer eating then sleeping curled up against each other, then flying as far as Lucifer could before they had to stop. They made good progress, the glow of the Gates getting closer with every repetition, until they were about halfway there.

They had landed for a few minutes to eat a few of the Hellfruit and give Lucifer a break from flying, when Chloe heard a noise.   
"Lucifer, what’s that hissing?"   
"That means we have company," he said, going very still to listen for any more noises, "And not in a good way." He rolled his shoulders and brought forth his wings, the primaries taking on a wicked gleam as they hardened into blades. Staring behind her, his expression set and he spoke in a low voice.   
"Detective, when I say go, run and don't stop," he said, before looking her in the eyes and brushing his thumb across her cheekbone, "I'll catch up. I promise."   
She nodded, not particularly wanting to leave him behind but knowing there was nothing she could really do to help. The hissing got louder and closer, and suddenly there was a bellow and a thunder of many feet.   
"Go Detective! Garmr, nasaru arammu.ĝu!" Lucifer yelled, and Chloe took off.

She ran for as long as she could, listening out for anything that might be following her over the thud of her boots and Garmr’s paws on the hard, dusty ground. She stopped when her muscles started to burn and the dust kicked up made her cough. Garmr took up a defensive stance as she caught her breath, looking back the way they’d come at the cloud of dust concealing Lucifer and their assailants.

Anxiety built in her stomach as she waited for him to join her, unable to stop the terrible scenarios playing out in her head. Just as she was debating finding out how much bullets could do against demonic creatures, a figure shot up out of the dust cloud and stared winging its way towards her. A moment later, Lucifer landed heavily in front of her, dark blood dripping from the edges of his wings.   
"Lucifer! Are you ok?"   
"A little scratched, Detective. The blood on my wings isn't mine." he replied, before giving them a couple of hard flaps to shake some of it off and folding them out of sight. Once they were away, Chloe threw her arms around him, needing to confirm to herself that he was ok, not knowing whether Hell could mess with you outside of the cells. As she pulled him close, he let out a little hiss of pain and she quickly let go, pulling back his jacket and finding tears in his shirt edged with red, one in his side the epicentre of a worryingly large stain.

She quickly pushed his jacket off his shoulders and started unbuttoning his shirt.   
"Ooh Detective! I wouldn’t have thought you’d choose here, but I’m always up for sex. Might get a little dusty though…" he said, eyes dark and hooded, and a smirk on his lips.   
"No Lucifer. You’re hurt." she replied as she continued to undo his buttons, not rising to the come-on.   
"It’s just scratches Detective. Don’t worry."   
"Please Lucifer. Let me have a look."   
"Alright." he conceded, sliding his shirt off his shoulders after the last button was undone.

There were quite a few small scratches on his body, but Chloe’s eye was drawn by the long, deep-looking gash in his side, sluggishly oozing dark red blood.   
"That’s not just a scratch Lucifer. Let me bandage it, please."   
"I  _have_  flown on worse, but ok. My shirt is ruined anyway."

He helped her tear his shirt into strips, and stood still while she wrapped them round his side. When she was finished, she pulled him into another hug, careful to be gentle.   
"Don’t do that again. Please." she murmured into his chest as he returned the hug.   
"Are you alright Detective?"   
She nodded, and Lucifer pulled her away from him to look her in the eyes.   
"Chloe, are you sure?" he asked, an earnest and concerned look on his face, and she couldn't hold the unaffected expression any longer.   
"I want to go home. I miss Trixie, and Dan and Ella and Linda. And Maze, weirdly. And you keep putting yourself in danger. I don't want to lose you…" she admitted, before pulling herself back into him.

He let her continue the hug for a few moments longer, before extricating himself from her arms and sinking cross-legged to the ground.   
"Take a seat Detective." he instructed, patting the ground in front of him.   
"What?"   
"You're stressed, and as I know you won't let me help you relax with more carnal methods, I thought I'd try another one. Now, sit down. Back to me."   
Doing as he asked, she sat down facing away from him, soon feeling his dexterous fingers in her hair, gently taking the hair elastic from her ponytail. She felt herself begin to relax as he carded his fingers through her hair, gently working out the knots. As he worked, she caught glimpses of the elastic around his wrist, and everything felt so much more domestic and less overwhelming. Once he was certain all the knots were gone, he began to French braid it, falling into an easy rhythm.   
"I didn't know you could do braids." Chloe said, not particularly wanting to interrupt the moment, but curiosity getting the better of her.   
"Yes, well, some of the styles popular when Mazie and I came to visit weren't possible to do on your own, so she taught me." he explained, fingers not losing their rhythm even as he spoke.   
"You should do Trixie's some time."   
"Alright. So long as the urchin sits still."

By the time he had finished to his satisfaction, and tied the end with the elastic, Chloe was beginning to drift off, the release of all her stress making her feel very tired.   
"Sleep, Chloe. We'll move on when you wake. We're almost there." he whispered, a soft smile on his face as he gently lay her down next to him, draping a wing over her sleeping form, careful to avoid the bloody feathers touching her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Sumerian instruction in this chapter is Nasaru arammu.ĝu = guard my love - again very roughly translated. 
> 
> Thanks to my amazing beta reader Hannah! Last chapter will be up tomorrow.
> 
> Feedback always welcome!
> 
> [Edit - added the translation, because I hadn't realised I'd forgotten it.]


	6. Halloween and Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe and Lucifer finally make it home, just in time for Trixie's Halloween plan.

Chloe woke up to the warmth of Lucifer’s body pressed up against hers, and a blanket of feathers over her. For a moment, she just lay there, listening to Lucifer's steady breathing and ignoring the events of the day before.   
"Good morning Detective. Did you sleep well?" he murmured, voice a little husky with sleep as his wing shifted above her.   
"Yeah. Thank you Lucifer." she replied as they got up.   
"You're welcome Detective."   
"How far away are we?"   
"Only a couple more days. Hopefully we won't encounter any more creatures."

After they had eaten a few Hellfruit, Lucifer put his jacket on and got his wings out again before they took off.

Mercifully, they encountered no more creatures before they reached the gates, even as they swapped the wide-open plains for the gnarled forest Chloe had spotted from the labyrinth. The Gates themselves were a red-gold glow in the sky sat over a clearing in the trees, rather than actual gates, but if you caught the right angle, there was a definite impression of huge, solid metal gates, carved with unsettling runes.

Before they headed through the Gates, they landed so Lucifer could tell Chloe how to prepare for crossing planes, and he could dismiss Garmr. The Hellhound nudged against Lucifer's leg as he tucked a few of the Hellfruit into his jacket pockets, evidently knowing they were about to leave as Chloe gave him one last tentative stroke.   
"I thought it would be nice to give Maze a taste of home." he explained before turning to Garmr.   
"Thank you Garmr. I will see if Maze wants to come down and see you some time. Alik eridu." he said, giving the hound one last scratch behind the ears before pointing across the plains towards the distant labyrinth. He took off like a shot, legs eating up the distance as he disappeared into the trees.

They stood in silence for a moment, looking back into the trees until Lucifer clapped his hands together.   
"Right. So, crossing back over to Earth. I think the best way for me to carry you is bridal style, as there is a possibility you might pass out."   
"Will it hurt?" Chloe asked, suddenly apprehensive when he mentioned passing out.   
"No Detective. It’s more like G-force. Pressure. I can feel it too, but angels are designed to withstand it." he explained, quick to reassure her. After a moment, she brought up the bit of the plan she insisted on.   
"And when we get back, you've got to let me bind your side properly."   
"You don't-" he protested, but she was quick to interrupt.   
"Please Lucifer. Or at least let me check on it."   
"Alright Detective. Shall we be off?" he relented, seeing that there was no point in arguing.   
"Yeah. Let's go home."

Lucifer picked her up, cradling her gently but firmly against his chest and some of her apprehension eased as his arms tightened around her. He launched them into the air in one fluid, well-practised movement, heading straight up instead of across like the past few days. As they climbed, Chloe tightened her arms around his neck as the pressure built, starting out like hitting the bottom of a drop on a rollercoaster but without the release. She held out for as long as she could, but as the glow of the Gates got closer and brighter she found it harder and harder to stay conscious. When the glow completely filled her vision, bright and harsh and close, she couldn't hold on any longer and her world slipped into darkness.

\-----------------*-----------------

"Maze, it's been two days. Do you have any idea when they're going to be back?" Dan asked, looking up at the demon in front of his desk. She'd come to drop Trixie at school that morning, and he'd asked her to come in so they could talk.  
"Soon. If they got dumped in the center, it'll take about a week Hell-time to get to the Gates, and that's about two days Earth-time," she replied, and Dan was more than a little confused about the apparent time difference, "If they're not back by tomorrow morning, I'll see if I can talk to Amenadiel and get him to find them."   
"Alright. Are you still taking Trixie trick-or-treating?"  
"Yep. Picking her up from school, then trick-or-treating, then you're picking her from the apartment right?"  
"Yeah. Thanks Maze."

\-----------------*-----------------

When Maze picked Trixie up, she was very excited for getting candy, and Maze couldn't help but get dragged into her excitement too. She had decided she wanted to be a demon this year, like Maze, so Lucifer had called in a favour with a special effects company to make her a mask like Maze's demon face, as well as a tailored leather jacket. They went straight back to the apartment, and as Trixie went to get into her costume, Maze wrote a short note to leave on the side, on the off chance that Chloe and Lucifer would arrive back while they were out.

Once Trixie emerged from her room, looking every inch the mini-Maze, complete with twin karambits - although hers were foam, glittery and pink - Maze put the note on the side, dropping her glamour, and they headed out to terrorise the neighbours for candy.

\-----------------*-----------------

"Chloe? Chloe darling, are you awake?"   
Once again, consciousness returned to Chloe with the deep British accent of her partner.   
"Are we home?" she asked as she dragged her eyes open and recognised the gritty texture of sand underneath her fingers. Lucifer was knelt at her side, one arm over her shoulders, holding her head up and gently brushing his thumb over her cheek with the other, almost like the time he saved her from Pier- Cain's men.   
"Yes Detective. We're home. May I..?" he asked, taking his hand away from her face.   
"Go ahead."  
He replaced his hand on her face, thumb on her forehead and two fingers on her temple like he had when the first arrived in Hell. The pressure against her mind started up as he closed his eyes, and after a moment it let up and he smiled.  
"You’re ok. Do you want to walk back to your apartment, or take a short flight? I can hop us there almost instantly if you are ok with a little more flying."   
"That would be nice Lucifer. I want to be home properly as soon as possible."   
"As you wish." he replied, pulling her close to him again, and in the blink of an eye they were in her bedroom.

He put her down as soon as they landed, straightening up and taking a step back to allow her to get up. When she stood up, she immediately enveloped him in a hug.   
"Thank you Lucifer. I'm gonna text Maze, and then I really need a shower," she said, letting him go and catching the smirk on his lips, "Alone. You can have a shower after me, and then I want to check on your side."   
"Alright Detective. I could make the shower  _much_  more enjoyable though."   
Chloe just rolled her eyes at him, not bothering to dignify his comment with a response, and turned her phone back on, having had the forethought to turn it off to preserve battery when she discovered it was practically useless in Hell. As soon as it finished turning on, it dinged with a voicemail from Dan.   
 _"Hey Chlo, it’s Dan. Just calling to see where you are, your stakeout's going on longer than I thought it would. I’m still good to take Trixie tonight, but I’d like to know how long it’s gonna take. Call me."_    
She quickly called him back, and he picked up almost immediately.   
"Chloe?"   
"Hi Dan."   
"Are you alright? Maze said she thought you and Lucifer had been sent to Hell." he asked, sounding quite worried.   
"We were, but we're ok Dan. I'll answer your questions tomorrow, but can- can I have Trixie tonight?"   
"Of course Chlo. I told her you and Lucifer went on a trip, I didn't want her to worry about you when Maze said you should be back in two days at the most. You're going to have to come up with a reasonable explanation for the precinct too. When I went to check on your stakeout and found you'd both vanished I called it in."   
"Thank you. We'll come in tomorrow and deal with that."   
"See you tomorrow then?"   
"See you tomorrow." she replied, and hung up.

While she was talking to Dan, Lucifer had left the room to see if anyone was home, and came back just as she hung up, with a piece of paper.   
"Maze has taken the spawn trick-or-treating. Seems I was correct in my estimate of how long it would be here."   
Chloe nodded as she sent off a quick text to Maze, telling her that they were back, ok, and Trixie was staying with her tonight. Text sent, she tossed her phone onto her bed and made her way to the shower, grabbing clean clothes and a towel.  
"I'll be quick Lucifer, then it's your turn and I'll have a look at your side."

She showered very quickly, washing away the grime and smell of Hell and a week without washing. The feeling of clean clothes against her skin was heavenly, and she brushed her teeth before emerging, thoroughly enjoying being clean and fresh again. Before Lucifer went in to the shower, she dug out a clean pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt that she had found in her laundry - possibly from one of Maze's overnight guests - that she reckoned would fit him.

When he came out of the bathroom, he was bare-chested, t-shirt in his hand so Chloe could have a look at his side. His hair was damp and curling, a few loose curls sticking to his forehead in the absence of his usual styling products.   
"Let's get this over with." he said, moving over to her and holding his arm out of the way. The gash had scabbed over, and in a few places the scab had come off, showing a slightly red line indicative of an almost-healed wound.  
"I think I can leave it unbandaged Lucifer. Thank you for letting me check though."   
"Thank you for caring Detective." he replied, a soft look on his face for a moment before he turned away and pulled the t-shirt on. Before either of them could say anything more, they heard the door open and Trixie and Maze come in.

Chloe rushed downstairs at the sound of her daughter’s voice.   
"Mom! You’re back!" Trixie grinned when she spotted her, and ran over to give her a hug.   
"Hey Monkey. Missed you." Chloe told her, returning the hug and holding her close. They stayed like that until Chloe heard Lucifer coming down the stairs.   
"Lucifer!" Trixie called, pulling away from Chloe and attaching herself to his legs.   
"Hello spawn." he said, standing stiff for a moment before awkwardly patting her on the head.   
"Are you staying for the movie? You said you would."  
"I did, didn’t I? Very well." he grumbled, but Chloe could tell he was secretly quite happy to still be invited to stay.   
"Trixie babe, why don’t you get out of your costume and pick out a movie?"  
"Ok Mom!" Trixie replied, and dashed off into her room to get changed. When she was gone, Maze spoke up.   
"Are you alright Decker? Hell isn’t a nice place for mortals."  
"I’m fine Maze. Hell’s not that bad when you’ve got the Devil by your side."   
"I'm glad you're back."   
"Thanks Maze."   
"How was Hell?" Maze turned and asked Lucifer.   
"Same as always. Garmr says hello." he replied, and Maze grinned.   
"How is he?"   
"He's doing great. He was patrolling the edge of the labyrinth when we bumped into him, and he came with us across the plain to the Gates. He seemed to like the Detective. If you ever want to go and see him, I will happily take you."   
"Thanks Lucifer. I have missed him."   
"I also brought you these." he said, picking up a bowl from the side and handing it to her. She gasped as she saw the Hellfruit that Lucifer had brought back with him.   
"I reckon with a little effort you could get a tree growing here. I thought you might like a taste of home."   
"Thank you Lucifer," she said, taking one of them before putting the bowl back on the side, "I should be off to Lux. Have fun with the spawn." She sauntered out of the apartment eating the fruit, leaving just as Trixie emerged from her room.

"I know what movie I wanna watch!" she announced, bouncing over to the TV and grabbing the remote.  
"Hey Lucifer..?" Chloe asked, sliding close to him and looking up at him with puppy-dog eyes, "Are your wings clean?"   
"I managed to get most of the blood off, yes. Do you want them as a blanket again?" he replied, knowing exactly why she was asking.   
"If you don't mind. They're really warm and comfy."   
"Alright Detective. So long as you and the spawn don't get popcorn in my feathers." he agreed, yet another soft look gracing his features.   
"Thank you Lucifer!" she said, standing on tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek before walking into the kitchen to make the popcorn. He couldn't stop the slight blush creeping up on his cheeks, and tried to control it for a moment before unfurling his wings and taking a seat on the couch.   
"Come on spawn. So long as you don't get popcorn in my feathers or pull on them, you can curl up with a wing for the film." he said, stretching out a wing in invitation. Trixie quickly settled in, careful not to accidentally tug on any feathers as he wrapped it loosely around her shoulders. Soon afterwards, Chloe joined them, curling up against his other side and settling the large bowl of popcorn in his lap, within easy reach of all three of them.

Once they were all comfortable, Trixie hit play, and as the opening to Coraline began, Chloe realised this was what she wanted. Yes, her life might be crazy at times, with her demon roommate and the Devil by her side, but her daughter adored them both and she couldn't imagine life without them. Lucifer stretched his arm over her shoulders and pulled her closer, and a lazy flood of contentment washed over her.  _This was good._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Sumerian instruction is Alik eridu = go home.
> 
> I realised I hadn't said why I picked Garmr's name when I first introduced him, so I'm putting it here. In Norse Mythology, Garmr is the personal hound of Hela, and as Hela resembles Maze - they are both half ordinary half partially decomposed corpse to an extent - I thought it was a fitting name choice.
> 
> Thanks to my awesome beta reader Hannah! Thank you all for reading and commenting and leaving kudos. I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Feedback always welcome!


End file.
